This invention relates to an image communication apparatus suitable for a facsimile which has the function of batch transmission.
One use of a facsimile is to transmit a plurality of documents individually or in groups to a single or a plurality of terminals (facsimiles). For example, documents "1", "2", and "3" are required to be transmitted individually or in groups to terminals "A", "B", "C" and "D".
This requirement can occur when a plurality of documents are transmitted from a head office of a corporation to its branches.
For instance, when document "1" is required to be transmitted to terminal "A" or to terminals "A" and "B" at a predetermined time T.sub.1, document 1 may be set to be stored in the memory and then the sequential transmitting function may be operated.
Another operation of the facsimile operation can be that each of the documents "1", "2", and "3" is required to be transmitted to each of a plurality of terminals. However, conventional apparatus do not have the function of transmitting a plurality of different files stored in the memory to a plurality of terminals.
The function of transmitting a plurality of different files stored in the memory in a lump to each plurality of terminals is defined now as the batch transmission function. When a plurality of files are transmitted with this batch transmission function, the transmission is usually conducted as a reserved transmission. For example, when documents are transmitted during the time while the rent for the communication line is low, that transmission is almost always conducted as a reserved transmission.
It is preferable that the contents of the reservation be confirmed because it is normal that the facsimile operator is not present at the facsimile machine when the reserved transmission is conducted.
Sometimes, reservation must be cancelled. In that case, it is preferable that the identification information is attached to the reserved file so that the information can be used as a mark. For instance, when a reservation number corresponding to the file is attached, the reservation can be cancelled according to the reservation number.
The page numbers put on received documents at the terminal which has received a plurality of documents are usually serial numbers. The numbers generally do not have any relations hip to with the transmitted files. Consequently, it is difficult to distinguish the transmitted files at the receiver side. Especially when a plurality of files have mutual relations with one another, it is difficult to distinguish and sort them.
When a plurality of documents are transmitted to a single terminal or a plurality of terminals, the sender of each document is different in many cases. A sender is called a user in this specification hereafter. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish the users.